Saturday, September 5, 2009

Organized Collections ~ Home Sweet Home #7

I know most of you have already seen the"The New Antiquarians" article in the New York Times, which spawned a whole mess of related blogs and press. They're calling this style "The New Vintage". I wouldn't call it "New" though, creative types have been hunting for treasure from antique shops, thrift stores, garage/estate sales and even dumpsters FOREVER! Anyway, I'm a big fan of the Hovey Sisters, I found them after Porter left a lovely comment in my comment section. I followed the link to her blog, which led me to Hollister's blog, and I've been hooked ever since! I love exploring people's collecting habits! Her collection exudes an English Aristocrat/Equestrian Prep aesthetic. Maybe she was a close friend of Ernest Hemingway in her past life. Or perhaps she was an English gentleman in colonial Africa! The Hovey girls are modern colonialists who now claim the streets of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Soho, Lower East Side, and West Side Manhattan as their stomping ground. Neighborhoods that were once burgeoning Bohemian enclaves that are now "occupied" hipster territory littered with pre-gentrification artist types who struggle to stand their ground. I love looking at all the great stuff she buys, the girl has impecable taste! She blogs about it all with such a naive sense of pomp and privilege...I just can't get enough!

"The New Antiquarians" also features Ryan Matthew Cohn. He collects Victorian oddities, taxidermy and bones. He also seems to fancy cast iron elements and rustic and industrial antiques...I love his style! He has an awesome line of leather goods and jewelry. He's opening a men's shop with some friends, called Against Nature in New York. In addition to his own wares, the shop will will carry tailored suits by Amber Doyle and Jake Meuser "Doyle Mueser" and custom denim by Simon Jacob. The opening reception is 7-10pm, Sept. 10th. (159 Christie St., near Rivington St. 212-228-4552)

I'm trying not to buy anything these days! Right now I need to focus on organizing and displaying the things I've already aquired. For example, I'm looking for the the right size glass domes for my taxidermy owl and raven. I have a piles of antique botanical prints and misc. art to be framed. And I need to find a way to display my collection of antique prosthetic glass eyes. A while back, Steampunk Home linked to this home tour from Country Living. I love this look...it's so organized!

I've really paired down over the years, I needed to de-clutter my life! (Or sometimes I just need the money so I sell random things on ebay!) 10 years ago my apartment looked like Morticia Addams's bachelorette pad. Dark colors on the walls, heavy velvet drapes that shut out all the light...total opium den! (I was a rockstar bartender and got off work at 3-4am, I never used to welcome the morning sunshine) My style has kind of shapeshifted over the years, I'm favoring a more modern look these days. My place looks more like a modern gypsy caravan now. My walls are painted white and I love all the light that pours in! I love Stylist, Sibella Court's bohemian-chic loft...it's light and fresh!

6 comments:

Oh my goodness, this post is amazing. I loved that article too, and the Hovey sisters. They've acquired some amazing things. I'm like you in the way that I collect and buy and buy and buy stuff without ever really organizing it. Need to get to that!

I love all these people, and I agree about it being nothing new- I've been on this 'morbid museum' kick for my whole life! (Mother was so (not) impressed when greeted with a lizard skull on her 8 year old daughter's bedside table.)

I have to concur on the white walls thing too- my houses have been all kinds of crazy, but I really do like the high ceilings and white walls of older houses, they let in so much light. As long as I'm careful to keep the antique photography in the shadows, the freshness of white walls goes so well with our kind of kooky junk.